Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-01-20

constitution IN the manner prescribed In
the TX Article thereof. Such an amend
ment trust the good sense and Justice Of
the people will cause to be made.
ELECTION OF PUBLIC oFFIcERs.
/ am convinced that the time has arrived /
when certain public officers, instead Of
being appointed by the governor, should DO |
elected by popular vote OF the citizens Of
the respective counties entitled to vote.
The public opinion OF the voters OF tho I
State as / believe, dei4 ands that a change |
should be made In this respect. This off, |
GERS to whom this principle Of selection |
more particularly applies are those OF regis 7
ter OF Wills, parliamentary OF the superior |
court, clerk Of the peace. recorder Of deeds |
and clerk at the orphans court and register |
In ehancery OF the different counties OF the |
State.
The voters are as fully competent to de-
eide who should or should not an these It'- |
speetive offices as the governor Gun reason
ably be supposed to be. the voters of the
respective counties are generally more
competent to decide as TO the qualification
OF such officers than the governor himself
They have better opportunities by reason Of
personal intercourse to form correct
opinions In respect to the qualifications and
fitness OF persons generally to ill these
SALARIES FOR CERTAIN OFFICERS IN LIEU OF FEES
In speaking of the election of these OH
GERS who now receive appointments at the
hands of the governor, / think it Is but
right to change the mode OF their compen-
satlon.
Public opinion, / think, would approve OF
such a change. Those officers should lie
required by law to collect the prescribed
fees, and cover the same into the treasury
lssNtua hal
made the duty Of the respective county
treasurers to pay TO the incnnibents OF said
offices out of the fees 80 paid to him GER
tain salary to be prescribed by law as just
compensation in full for all their respective
services as such officers.
PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
Primary elections OF political parties in
this State for the nomination OF candidates
| for Office should, in my opinion, be held
under and governed by suitable legal re.
strlcttons. Bribery, corruption and fraud
at such elections should be prohibited ard
punished by law There has OF late been
Inuch complaint in this State concerning
corrupting and fraudulent practices at such
4 elections. / recommend to the General
| Assembly the enactment OF suitable laws
for the purpose OF preventing the recur-
renee of such practices in the future.
STATE FINANCES.
The biennial report OF the Sta.e treasurer
| 10 the General Assembly Is most gratifying.
| As appears from that report the Indebted
| ness Of the State is 1924, $4,000 and the
| amount placed to the credit of the state Is
81, i6s, 799 10, leaving as an excess over ell
| liabilities $34i ,049.00. While In many states
| throughout the Union extravaganza has
| prevailed and corruption has existed in
/ public expenditure, II can be said to Della
| wares credit, that those who have had the
| control and management OF affairs have
heen economical ih their management and
1 honest in thoir dealings.
| The present indebtness OF the State, as Is
well known, was caused by the granting Of
aid for Internal improvements and the pro-
| tectiug of the citizens during the bloody
| days Of the late civil war from draft. The
showing made by the State treasurer re-
fleets credit upon those who hereto
fore have had charge Of affairs, and take
/ pleasure In being able to bear testl-
Inony TO their integrity.
TARIFF.
deem 1t not Inappropriate to the present
| occasion to express my opinion in respect
to certain subjects OF Federal legislation
In which the people of the several states
have and feel deep personal interest, and
| one In which their voice Is entitled to be
heard. BY section VII, Art. l. OF the
Federal Constitution, Congress Is invested
with the exclusive power to lay and collsct
taxes, duties, lmposts and excuses.
Before the formation of snid constitution
these powers belonged to, and were exer-
cised by the several states us sovereign and
Independent states. The states cannot now
exercise that power, having surrendered II
to the Federal government. As members Of
the Federal Union, however, they are
deeply Interested in the proper exercise
thereof by the Federal government, and
have right to demand that the govern
ment shall 80 exercise 1t as to promote the
common benefit and advantage of all.
The subject of q tariff has been one OF
contention in Congress and out of 1t almost
from the formation Of the Federal Union.
The senators aud representatives In Con.
Rress from the different states have too
often had regard to the. separate in
terests OF the states which they particularly
represented, to the exclusion of the com :
mon interest OF all the states.
1t is difficult for the representatives of
different and independent communities to
rise superior to local interests, and to act In
the spirit of impartial Justice and fairness
toward other political communities even
, though connected with them by a bond Of
common union.
Particular interests have too generally
} been alone regarded, and hence the adj
: i1stment of n proper tariff upon imports
mas been attended with the greatest diff
} Guilty and marked by the greatest injustice.
, Without entering into full discussion OF
: the principles which should govern this
Z tIlsHUu j ME eiHt AS as uGL 4sliiUE tl8i
JGtt1s E8Ns that which sh0Ni ntsl nsa
! tG,H gip5j Anaricah coz tt,st and American
= labor, and best sustain the whole popula'
. ton Of common country, and not ths
l population of any particular section TO the
It Injury q the rest. The great interests Of
g tue whole country are united and INSOFAR.
Il able, Aglteulture.' commerce and manu-.
n features Will prosper together or languish
/ together, aud all Legislation is dangerous
i which proposes to benefit one of these
Il without looking to consequences which
o may tai on the others. The predominant
r, interest Of Delaware is that Of agriculture
p and she has a right to demgnd OF the Fedora
II government that the predominant Interest
Il OF her people shall not be unjustiy dis
II eliminated against by Federal legislation
Ii What is true OF ths peopis Of Delaware Ii
e equally true Ia respect to the people Of til,
"a wll0ls country. The agricultural interes
It Is general and Il common one and should
II not be made to bear as 1t does bear, a dis
d proportlunBte part Of the public burdens.
u No more duties should be- levied or col
II lacted on imports by means of tariff thar
;. are necessary aud proper tor meeting thI
& legitimate EXPENSES Of the Federal govern
" ment honestly and economically admins
4 tered
The collection and boarding up larg
surplus or sum OF money collected b.
j. means of a tariff Of duties on imports ar
" wrongs done to the people of the who'll
n country and operate oppressively upon tn
If whole people, but especially upon thos
n who havu the greatest p triton OF the publ
l. burdens to bear The Federal government
4 Is not authorized to levy duties for an
4 other purpose than 10 dUfray tine expense
ia Of the government. IL cannot levy an
IF collect such duties except for the commo
m benefit, AMI to do 30 Tor any purpose no
IS warranted by the constitution Is beyond II
Ia power. The collection of unnecessary reVt
IA nues is Il wrong done TO tee people, ard tn
IN possession OF 1t when collected Il still NOR
re- Injurious. Its retention In the treasury de
"a prives the people OF tla' much clTculatin
,e medium necessarily In tho prosecution {
IA business; makes meLey high and hard
1. get increases the rnte OF interest produce
a. failures in business. financial embarrasi
ar meut, panics and disasters In indnstriG
a pursuits, and II 1t il disbursed, which
,e generally Is. In Needless and extrayagaI
in | expenditures by the government 1t puts
,e premium on dishonesty AID fraud. 1t Is
er temptation for appropriation TO uselei
" purposes, and unconstitutional objects.
Il. A treasury shOnld rot be Uverfiowint
ne Both the tafiff and Internal taxes should
III so properly reduced and modified as to kee
n. the receipts Of the government down to /
III legitimate demands; but in this reductlo
IL the greatest consideration and regal
~ should be- had for interests which hay
IL grownup and been protected by presel
4. tax and tariff lnws, 80 that under tariff r
N. form nc injustice may be done in respec
Ia to such interests.
"a There can be no justification or exeu
"a for the continuation of The duties wldC
~ yield In excess of the wants OF the COVER
II. ment a surplus of more than 800, 900, o.
nd annually, which must be held for years
the treasury before H. 0aD ba auf,lind To II